1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a one piece locking device for use in association with a gooseneck trailer coupler to prevent the trailer from being stolen when the trailer is detached from its associated tow vehicle. The locking device disables normal coupler operation by restricting the movement of the lower latching plate of a gooseneck trailer coupler when the coupler is placed in a self-obstructing, fully closed position. When properly installed and secured with an appropriate padlock, the locking device prevents typical 2 5/16 inch, 2 inch, and 1⅞ inch towing balls from entering the gooseneck coupler, thus deterring theft of an unhooked trailer.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to law enforcement agencies, many thousands of trailers are reported stolen each year. Most are stolen while unlocked and/or unprotected from theft. This invention is intended to prevent thefts of opportunity. The invention is a locking device to be used by individuals and by those in the agricultural, construction, and other industries where gooseneck type trailers are used. It provides a theft deterrent for unhooked, parked trailers.
Most gooseneck trailer couplers in common use include safety features which are designed to prevent a coupler from becoming detached from a towing vehicle during normal towing operations. The safety features include spring loaded latching plates, vertical rods to secure the relative position of the coupler plates, and horizontal rods to reduce the size of the coupler opening. The couplers currently in widespread use do not provide any built-in means of protecting a trailer from theft when the trailer is unhooked from its tow vehicle.
There are distinct differences between the safety features incorporated into common gooseneck couplers and the present locking device. Safety features, such as spring loaded latching plates and vertically oriented rods used to secure the relative position of the top and bottom plates, provide a measure of safety to prevent the coupler from becoming detached from a towing ball while a trailer is being towed. Safety features allow a user to connect and disconnect a trailer using normal force of hand. The present locking device is, on the other hand, used to disable normal coupler operations, and provides theft protection for unhooked or parked trailers. The plates of the coupler are secured in a fully closed position which obstructs the coupler opening and prevents the trailer from being attached to a tow vehicle without first removing the locking device, either by unlocking it or by defeating the locking device by force.
There is a need for an effective, inexpensive, quickly installed locking device for trailers with gooseneck couplers. The vast majority of trailer thefts occur when a potential thief identifies an unlocked trailer in an insecure location. The time spent at the crime scene is critical in this type of theft. It takes less than two minutes to connect an unlocked trailer to a tow vehicle. Most people involved in theft have access to a tow vehicle equipped with a standard 2 5/16 inch towing ball. Other methods which do not require the use of a coupler and towing ball are used to steal trailers, but they represent a very small percentage of the overall numbers. A professional thief can steal a trailer whether it is locked or not. Thefts of opportunity can be deterred by using a locking device which will not allow standard towing balls, i.e. 2 5/16 inch, 2 inch, and 1⅞ inch towing balls, to be used to connect to the trailer.
To be effective, the locking device must resist the use of bolt cutters, hacksaws, pry bars, and hammers. Also, to be effective, considerable time and noise must be involved to forcibly remove the locking device from the trailer. The present invention is construction of metal and its shape makes it difficult to remove from the trailer without unlocking an associated lock that secures the locking device to the trailer.
The prior art is composed of locks which are relatively large, cumbersome, expensive, and time consuming to install and remove. Due to these characteristics, they are often left in the cab or bed of the tow vehicle, or in a shop or barn, and are not installed. Most of these prior art locks employ two or more components which can become separated and misplaced. These prior art locks are generally designed to prevent theft of a trailer by inserting an obstructing object into or over the towing ball opening of the coupler. The obstructing object is normally formed as a part of a complex casting or multiple welded components. The assembled unit of such a prior art lock surrounds the coupler and holds the obstruction in place when secured with an internal or external lock. Another method used to prevent the obstruction from being removed is to attach the unit to the coupler lever handle. Other designs incorporate a telescoping pole attached to an obstruction at the coupler end, and to trailer jack stand components at the other end.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,241 issued Oct. 15, 2002 to Daniel for Gooseneck Trailer Hitch, is an example of the widespread use of a vertically oriented rod to maintain the relative position of the coupler plates during normal towing operations. This design also incorporates the use of a spring to pre-position the lower plate of a coupler and assist the user when connecting a trailer to a tow vehicle. This gooseneck trailer hitch provides no theft deterrent protection features.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,735 issued Nov. 23, 1993, to Mann for Gooseneck Trailer Coupler is another example of the widespread use of a vertically oriented rod designed to maintain the relative position of the coupler plates during normal towing operations. This gooseneck trailer hitch also provides no theft deterrent protection features.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,229 issued Jul. 24, 2001 to Gill et al. for Gooseneck Trailer Coupler is an example of a coupler which incorporates the use of a chuck and pinion gear which rotate to position jaws that are designed to narrow the coupler opening and prevent the coupler from becoming detached from a towing ball. This coupler design is significantly different than couplers in widespread use which incorporate a fixed upper plate and a moveable bottom plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,315 issued Nov. 13, 2001 to Seale for Gooseneck Trailer Lock is an example of a type of lock that obstructs the coupler opening using a complex casting and an integrated lock.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,405 issued Jan. 26, 1993 to Wheeler for Gooseneck Trailer Hitch Lock, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,545 issued Oct. 26, 1993, to Wheeler for Gooseneck Trailer Hitch Locking Device, both provide examples of the type of lock that surrounds the coupler with multiple complex parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,316 issued Jun. 21, 1994 to Wheeler for Anti-theft Coupler Device, is an example of the type of lock that surrounds the coupler and inserts an obstruction into the coupler opening. The device is designed to work with couplers which use a horizontally oriented shaft to narrow the coupler opening versus a coupler with a fixed upper plate and moveable bottom plate such as the type for which the present invention is designed to work.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,871 issued May 7, 1996 to Johnson for Gooseneck Trailer Hitch Locking Device is an example of the type of lock that obstructs the coupler opening using multiple welded components which are secured in place by attaching to the coupler lever handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,030 issued May 28, 1996, to Muldoon for Gooseneck Trailer Lock, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,078 issued Aug. 29, 2000 to Marshall for Trailer and Jack Stand Lock Assembly are both examples of locks which use multiple components and incorporate a telescoping pole which extends from the coupler opening to the trailer jack stand assembly.
All of the referenced gooseneck coupler locks are relatively expensive and difficult to fabricate, and use additional materials to obstruct the coupler opening. The locking device of the present invention works in cooperation with existing coupler components and secures the coupler in a self-obstructing fully closed position. For that reason it is much smaller than prior art devices, is very simple to use, and is less expensive to produce. In addition, the present device can be attached to the coupler to prevent it from being lost and to keep it handy for locking a parked trailer. The lock to be used in association with the present locking device is a rectangular block style padlock with narrow shackle gap to resist bolt cutters, constructed with a hardened, rotating steel shackle pinned at both the toe and heel end to resist hacksaws; and employing hardened steel, anti-saw rods formed into the padlock body to resist sawing.